Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the creation of 16 new notified area councils (NACs) and the elevation of seven existing NACs to municipalities on Sunday. This announcement was made during a Local Self-Governance Day event. The Chief Minister instructed officers from the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to ensure that cities and towns are free of potholes and that all drains are covered by April 2026. He requested that officers provide self-certification confirming that all roads in their ULBs are pothole-free. The government will allocate sufficient funds for necessary repairs, maintenance, and new construction, he stated.
The new NACs will be located in Loisingha (Bolangir), Sohela (Bargarh), Badamba, Narasinghpur, and Salepur (Cuttack), Gondia (Dhenkanal), Jagannath Prasad, and Patrapur (Ganjam), Chandikhol (Jajpur), Narla and Jaipatna (Kalahandi), Tangi (Khurda), Borigumma (Koraput), and Kaptipada, Jashipur, and Rasgovindpur (Mayurbhanj). Additionally, the NACs in Ganjam district, including Bhanjanagar, Aska, Chhatrapur, Kabisuryanagar, and Polasara, along with Karanjia NAC in Mayurbhanj and Boudh NAC, will be upgraded to municipalities. Recently, the Housing and Urban Development department issued a draft notification for 12 new NACs across seven districts in Odisha. The proposed NACs include Pallahara (Angul), Birmaharajpur (Subarnapur), Simulia, and Basta (Balasore), Betnoti, Bangiriposi, Chitrada (Mayurbhanj), Bissam Cuttack (Rayagada), Bamra, Rengali (Sambalpur), and Tihidi, Dhusuri (Bhadrak).
The government had also previously announced the upgrade of Puri Municipality to a municipal corporation. In total, 28 new NACs, seven municipalities, and one municipal corporation will be established in the state. These new ULBs will provide essential services such as water supply, street lighting, electricity, roads, parks, and recreational facilities, according to Majhi. In his speech on August 15, the Chief Minister had initially announced the formation of these new NACs. He also introduced various urban development initiatives, including the extension of the ‘Sahayog’ program to all urban areas in the state, which aims to ensure that government schemes reach every citizen.
To enhance civic grievance resolution, he launched a 24×7 toll-free helpline (1929) called ‘Sahar Saathi,’ allowing citizens to register complaints, inquiries, or suggestions without having to visit municipal offices. Additionally, he unveiled the ‘National Common Mobility Card’ under the Centre’s ‘One Nation, One Card’ initiative, which enables citizens to access various transport services across cities with a single card.